Government says it plans to engage countries in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Region to negotiate internet charges.

Minister of Information and Digitalization Gospel Kazako has told YFM online that currently Malawi does not have diplomatic data corridors of which he observes that it has been one of the contributing factors of high internet rates in the country.

He said: “The price of internet do not only dependent on taxes, there so many other things, for example at the moment will be going to several countries.

“We will be negotiating for what we call Diplomatic Data Corridor, which Malawi doesn’t have and this is why you notice that internet is cheaper in other countries, because they have those agreements.”

Kazako said whilst internet prices have currently been reduced, there is need to take further serious steps in ensuring that Malawians are having affordable and reliable internet access.

“Minister of Foreign Affairs, myself and a team of experts will go to these countries to negotiate and also taking advantage since our President is Chairperson of SADC.”

Both TNM and Airtel Malawi Plc have reduced their internet data bundles through introduction of Patsetse and MoFaya internet data bundles respectively.